Who We Are

The Desert Tortoise Council was established in 1975 to promote conservation of the desert tortoise in the deserts of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The Council is a non-profit organization comprised of hundreds of professionals and laypersons who share a common concern for desert tortoises in the wild and a commitment to advancing the public’s understanding of the species. For the purposes of the Council, desert tortoise includes the species complex in the southwestern United States and in Mexico, currently referred to as Gopherus agassizii and Gopherus morafkai.

What We Do

The Council promotes conservation of the desert tortoise in the
wild in a variety of ways.

We hold an annual Symposium in the spring of each year to bring together scientists, managers, and concerned people to share the latest information available on the desert tortoise and its management.

We hold an annual techniques Workshop to help field workers and others learn how to comply with procedures needed to protect the desert tortoise.

To learn more about the Council online, read our bylaws and quarterly newsletter.

Announcement: Job Openings for Field Biologists in the Las Vegas, Nevada area

Logan Simpson, a multi-discipline, environmental consulting firm, with offices in multiple states, seeks temporary Field Biologists to conduct field work in the Las Vegas, Nevada area.

These temporary positions will conduct surveys focusing on Threatened and Endangered and Sensitive Species (TES), with a focus on the Mojave Desert tortoise, migratory bird surveys, and native plant inventories.

Completion of at least two field seasons conducting TES detection surveys or other animal/plant field inventories.

Experience using GPS for data collections in the desert southwest.

The ideal candidates will be an authorized desert tortoise biologists, as approved by USFWS and NDOW for work in Nevada, and possess experience conducting safe environmental and biological monitoring at active constructions sites.

These positions will be paid an hourly rate, dependent on the candidate’s qualifications and experience. The work schedule will vary depending on the job.

If interested, please apply online at: http://www.logansimpson.com/careers/ and attach a resume, which lists all applicable coursework, field experience, and related certifications and training, and include a cover letter.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer
M/F/D/V

Announcement: Desert Tortoise Photos Needed for BMP Document

For the last several months, the Board of Directors have been reviewing over twenty years of published data on the Agassiz’s desert tortoise to synthesize a set of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for restoring desert tortoise habitat. To better illustrate this document, and to help our decision-makers and the public understand the most salient points about how tortoises interact with habitat features, we are reaching out to the tortoise community for imagery from anyone willing to share. We are interested in photos of the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) specifically in the Mojave Desert (not the Sonoran Desert) and would, of course, provide full photo credit to the photographer for any photos used.

We are especially interested in images that show the following:

1. A desert tortoise burrow below a perennial plant, zoomed slightly out to show context, or a tortoise using a perennial plant as cover site.

2. Photos of the Desert Tortoise Natural Area in California. An ideal one would be a view along a fence line showing a comparison of inside versus outside the fence.

3. Any photos of a tortoise actively foraging on an annual or perennial plant.

4. Any photo of a tortoise with cattle or feral burros or horses around it.

5. Any photo of tortoise on a burned area.

We would not need a lot of photos, just a few selected that you may be willing to share. Photos can be emailed to Scott Abella at abellaNRC@gmail.com.

Questions?

Announcements

Announcing the 2016 DTC Symposium dates: The next DTC Symposium will take place February 19-21, 2016 at Sam's Town Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The Symposium Field Trip will take place on February 18.

Announcing Mojave Workshop News:. We plan to hold 2 workshops in Ridgecrest, CA in November 2015: Mon-Tues, Nov. 2-3 and Wed-Thur, Nov. 4-5
We will begin registration in July — watch the DTC website for details.
Final certification letters for the 2014 workshop were mailed Feb. 2. If you do not receive yours within a week, please click Workshop Email to send your CORRECT AND COMPLETE MAILING ADDRESS.

Announcing a Call for DTC Archival Materials 1975 - 2013
DTC is "very interested in gathering all available hard copy materials that will help
us accurately represent the rich history of the Desert Tortoise Council. We are
particularly interested in hearing from past board members and officers, and
respectfully seek folders and boxes full of archival materials." For more information, click DTC Archives 1975-2013

Last update:
March 23, 2015

Tortoise in Peril
"Humans share the planet with an enormous diversity of wildlife. But as people move into undeveloped areas conflicts with wildlife often increase.

In the U.S. humans have helped ravens move into the desert which was previously inhospitable for ravens. People provide ravens with food, water and nesting sites. As a result, raven populations have increased by 1,500% in some desert areas. This increase is impacting the environment, especially for the desert tortoise.

The desert tortoise was listed as a threatened species in 1990. Habitat loss, disease, predation and other factors have already reduced the number of tortoises drastically-- up to 90% in some cases. Now ravens are eating baby tortoises, reducing the odds of tortoise survival as a species. This film explores that impact pointing out how people can change the environment through their actions." — Timothy Branning